Henry t



H. T. BEAM.

GAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

HENRY T. BEAM, OF ROBINSON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO M.

' O. JONES AND THOMAS ATEN, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

c a-couPLme.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 298,817, dated May 20,1884.

Application filed March 25, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY T. BEAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Robinson, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein to.the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of aconstructed in accordance with m Fig. 2 represents two forms ofcoupling-links employed therewith. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal verticalsection of the same, and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section takenon the line :0 w of Fig. 3.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

A represents a draw bar socket, having flanges a, by which it is adaptedto be secured to any suitable portion of the frame-work of a car. Thesocket is bored longitudinally to receive the spindle B of the draw-headB, and is slotted for the reception and longitudinal reciprocation of apin, a, which is inserted into the spindle B, so that itis preventedfrom rotation within the socket. In this manner a cylindrical spindle tothe draw-head may be used, and it being of less diameter than the bodyportion of the draw-head, a shoulder, b, is formed between it and theface of the socket,

in which any suitable spring, 0, is located, with or without rubberwasher or spring 0, whereby the draw-head is adapted to perform thefunction of a spring-buffer, as is usual in this class of device Thecross-bar 0 uponthe draw-head of the coupler is to represent thecross-sill of the car, in order that an operating-lever, as 0 may beconnected with the draw-head, and the coupling devices used inconnection therewith, which lever is extended in any suitable directionand to any desired extent, whereby it may be accessible from theplatform or from the roof of a car in order that the coupling devicesmaybe operated from such location. In this invention the draw-head isprovided with the usual marginal and beveled flanges at its outer face,and with a single compart- 50 ment for the reception of the couplinglink or bar, connecting any car which is to be coupled I 0 carcouplerinvention.

and side walls of which are formed with that supplied with the draw-headprovided with my improvements. The compartment 1? is in this instancesubstantially rectangular, the rear end wall and the upper 5 5 of orconstitute the solid portion of the head proper, while the lower wall ofsaid compartment is formed of a separate piece from the head,hereinafter described.

XVithin the compartment 13 are two hinged jaws, D I), provided with aspherical recess, arranged one-half in each of the jaws. The front endof each of the jaws is beveled, as at (I, so as to coact with thebeveled entrance of 6 the compartment B in guiding the end of aconnecting-link within the two jaws, which are united at their rear endswith any suitable hinge, as D.

As before described, the draw-head compartment is open at its lowerside, and a separate piece forms a closure for said sides. This closureor sliding bottom is represented at E, and consists of a movable platehaving flanges c, interiorly grooved, as e, to receive and ride uponribs, splines, or flanges 1), formed on the outer sides of the head 13,and arrangedlongitudinally thereon, and near their lower edges,

as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The lower front edge of the face ofthe draw-head is projected below the lower surface of, the lower jawwhen in a closed position, so that it permits the front end of said jawto fall when the plate E is moved rearwardly from under the jaw. Theupper jaw is provided with a trans- 8 5 verse bolt, or with trunnions d,at opposite sides, which project through elongated slots b formed on theside walls of the head. The front end of the plate E is beveled at c, inorder to permit the lower jaw to drop down 0 away from the upper jawwhen the plate is withdrawn rearwardly. Now, it will be seen that whenthe plateE is withdrawn the lower jaw will fall away from the upper jaw,and they will be open to receive the head of a con- 5 necting-link,which, in order to be adapted to the construction of the jaws, consistsof a connecting rod or strap, F, provided with a ball,

F, at each end thereof. This link or rod may be a solid rod or a jointedrod, both construc- IOO tions being shown in Fig. 2, that at the left ofthe figure showing a joint as located at the side of the end of twosections, in which the rod is formed, so that the sections are in twodifferent horizontal planes, and the joint f is arranged between them,whereby the link is adapted for coupling cars of different heights.

I do not confine myself to any particular form of joint in the link, butreserve my right to change said joint in any manner and to any extentwithin the skill of persons conversant in constructing car-couplingdevices. The slot b being elongated permits of a movement of the jawswhen closed upon a link, (this movement being required to facilitate thestart of a train of freight-cars,) so that while the plate E is in itsrearmost position the jaws still grasp the connecting-link; but in orderto render the connection of the jaws and links permanent the plate E ismoved to the front until its front end rests in the lower projection, hof the face of the drawhead. Now, reciprocative movement of the jaws andthe link secured thereon is provided for, even when the parts areclosed, as described, in the elongation of the slot 1)", and

.still further longitudinal movement is permitted by means of theconnection of the drawhead bar B with the socket A, heretoforedescribed.

In the construction of the jaws and their arrangement within the head,and the external sliding plate for locking said jaws in close connectionwith each other, and for permitting their separation to receive acoupling-link, I have described novel features, but do not limit myinvention to the specific devices for operating the. external slidingplate, which I shall hereinafter describe. In this instance I form atthe edge of one of the flanges e a rackbar, 6, and with this I arrange asegmental gear, 6, pivoted to the side of the draw-head, and formed withan extension or arm, 0", provided with any suitable handle, 6, extendingsufficiently far from the head that a person may manipulate the platewithout stepping between the cars. Such devices may be provided ateither one or both sides of the drawhead, as desired.

From the arm 6 projects a standard, 6 which, in connection with the armand segmental gear and its pivot, constitute a bellcrank lever. From thestandard is extended a strap, a", pivotally connected to the standardand to a rack-arm, e", attached to the lower end of thelever 0 By thesedevices a person standing upon the platform or upon the top of the caris enabled to reciprocate the Q plate E in both directions to lock orunlock the jaws D D, so that after the link is introduced therein thecars may be coupled or uncoupled, as desired.

The draw-head is provided with the usual pin-hole, b, and the front endsof the jaws D D may be grooved, as shown, whereby the ordinary couplinglink and pin may be used in this head.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hollowcylindrical socket A, provided with flanges a, incombination with a cylindrical draw-bar, and with a pin inserted in thedraw-bar and passing through the longitudinal slots in the socket,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the socket A, drawhead B, having cylindricaldraw-bar B, spring 0, and pin a, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the head B, and the jaw D, provided with thetransverse bolt or trunnion d, riding in the slot I) in the head, withthe jaw D and hinge D each of the jaws having a semi spherical recessand incline guiding surface d in its inner surface, and with means forlocking the jaws together, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the recessed head B, and the hinged jaws D D, theformer having trunnions riding in an elongated slot inthewalls of thehead, and connected to the latter by a hinge-j oint, with an externalsliding plate. and means for operating the same, substantially asspecified.

5. The combination of the plate E, having rack 6 the gear c, standard 6strap e and lever 0 provided with the arm 6 substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the draw-head B,

provided with flanges b, of the plate E, provided with grooved flangese, substantially as shown and described.

7. The coupling-link F, formed in two sections arranged in differentplanes, and united by a joint, f, and provided with balls F at the outerend of each section, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY T. BEAM.

I Witnesses:

E. E. MASSON, L. 0. Hum.

